Speed and torque sensitive governor



March '4, 1952 w, DUFFlELD 2,587,981

SPEED AND TORQUE SENSITIVE GOVERNOR Filed Feb. 13, 1948 I Alva/ranPatented Mar. 4, 1952 SPEED AND TORQUE SENSITIVE GOVERNOR William A.Duflield, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Windfields (1946) Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, anincorporated com- Application February 13, 1948, Serial N0.'8,067

9 Claims.

This invention relates to speed and torque to governor sensitivegovernors and particularly for thecontrol of remote mechanisms.

The object of the invention is to provide a governor which will controlmechanisms, whether affected from the input side or the output side ofthe drive.

A further'object is to provide a governor which will be torqueresponsive from the input side and responsive to centrifugal force fromthe output side or vice versa.

A further object is to provide a governor which can effect controleither directly or by remote means.

These and other objects will be appreciated from a study of thefollowing specification, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1, is a front elevation from the input side,showing the device in the torque controlled position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the device in thespeed controlled position.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the devicecontrolling a valve.

Referring to the drawing, the input shaft I terminates in a torquespider 2 which has arms 3 radiating therefrom. The output shaft 4 iscoaxial with the shaft I and is provided with a flange 5 forming acarrier for the governor weight pivot pins 8.

The pivot pins 6 are spaced on the flange 5 at a relatively large radiusfrom the axis of the input and output shafts [and 4. Governor weightsTare drilled at 8 to mount on the pivot pins 6. The weights 1 arepreferably are shaped with the pivot drilling 8 being at one end so thatthe pivots are eccentrically located with respect to the axis ofrotationof the shafts l and 4.

At a position adjacent the weight pivots Ii, the weights aredrillecl'out to provide receptacles for the fulcrum blocks 9. Thesefulcrum blocks are slotted to receive the radiating arms 3 of the torquespider 2.

Each'of the weights 1 is provided with a snubber spring III which isheld in place in the re cesses II by the pins I2. The flange 5 of theshaft is provided with slots I3 adjacent the snubbersprings ID, theslots being formed in an are at a radius from the pivot pins 6. The'pinsI2 pass through these are shaped slots I3 and are provided withretaining heads [4.

Either one or all of the weights 1 can be prov'idedwith an operating armI6, the connection of the arm with the weight being preferably at amaximum distance from the weight pivot pin 6. This arm I6 can be used tooperate avalve controlling some apparatus at a remote point, asillustrated in Figure 4 ofthe drawing.

In the operation of this invention, the input shaft I can be coupled toany form of prime mover delivering input torque, while the output shaft4 can be coupled to any load. When the unit is starting up andtransmitting high torque, the

drive-is through the governor weights I tothe output shaft 4. Duringthistime, the high torque from the shaft I causes a slight relative rotationof the shaft I with respect to the shaft 4. This slight relativerotation is effected through the torque spider 2 and its radiating arms3, causing the weights 1 to be rotated about their pivot pins 6 and tomove inwards towards the axis of the shafts l and 4. As the speed of theunit increases and/or the input torque is reduced, centrifugal force,due to speed of rotation being built up in the weights 1, overcomes theinput torque. Throughout the operation of the device the output shaft 4must revolve at an identical speed to that of the input shaft I owing tothe nature of the operative connection between these elements. Theweights 1 nowmove outwardly about their pivots 6 until they come upagainst suitablestops I1. As the weights move outwards they carrywiththem the operating arms I6.

In some applications, the operating arms I6 can be dispensed with andthe weights themselves be used tooperate a control.

It will therefore be seen that the simple governor above described iscapable of manyapplications, and, due to the weights being powertransmitting members, the unit is ver sensitive to 'change of torqueinput or variation in load. While a preferredform of the governor hasbeen illustrated and described, it is understood that the form and:disposition of the weights can be varied to suit individualapplications, and the claims should beso interpreted.

WhatI claim is:

1. Aspeed and torque sensitive governor com prising input-andoutput/members mounted to turnabout the'same axis, at least one weighteccentrically pivoted on said output element on an axis "radiallydisposed from but parallel to said first axis, means limiting themovement of said weight sogthat its centerof gravity in all positions islocated not substantially further from said first axis than saidsecond-axis and, is angularly di'splacedin a directionxopposite tothedirection of'rotation'fromthe second axis with respect to the firstaxis by a substantial distance, and means carried by the input elementoperatively engaging said weight at a point between said first andsecond axes to move the center of gravity towards the first axis whenthe input element starts to shift angularly in the direction of rotationwith respect to the output element, 'said means carried by the inputelement providing a driving connection between the input and outputmembers at all positions of said weight, an operating arm connected toone of said weights at a point angularly displaced from said pivot pointin a direction opposite to the direction of rotation said operating armbeing radially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation.

2. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising input and outputmembers mounted to turn about the same axis, at least one weighteccentrically pivoted on said output element on an axis radiallydisplaced from but parallel to said first axis, means operativelyconnecting said weight to said output member for resiliently holdingsaid weight against movement with respect to said output member, andmeans carried by the input element operatively engaging said weight at apoint between the first and second axes to move the center of gravity ofthe weight towards the first axis when the input element starts to shiftangularly with respect to the output element in the direction ofrotation, said means carried by the inputelement providing a drivingconnection between the input and output members at all positions of saidweight an operating arm connected to one of said weights at a pointangularly displaced from said pivot point in a direction opposite to thedirection of rotation said operating arm being radially disposed withrespect to the axis of rotation.

3. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising input and outputmembers mounted to turn about the same axis, at least one weight pivotedon said output element on an axis eccentric but parallel to said firstaxis, means limiting the movement of said weight so that its center ofgravity in all positions is located not substantially further from saidfirst axis than said second axis and is angularly displaced from thesecond axis with respect to the first axis by a substantial distance,and means carried by the input element operatively engaging said weightto move the center of gravity towards the first axis when the inputelement starts to shift angularly with respect to the output element inthe direction of rotation, said last means forming the only connectionbetween said members.

d. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising a rotatable torqueinput member, a rotatable output member coaxial with the said inputmember, one or more weights eccentrically pivoted about pivot points onsaid output mem--, ber with the centres of gravity of the weightsangularly displaced with respect to the axes of rotation from the pivotpoints in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation, meansaffording a driving connection between said weights and said inputmember at all positions of said weights and permitting limited relativeangular displacement between said input member and said output memberwhereby the centres of gravity of said weights will be biased inwardlywhen the moment about said pivot point of the applied torque is greaterthan the moment about said pivot point of the centrifugal forcegenerated by rotation of the weights, and whereby the centres or gravityoi said weights will be biased outwardly when the moment of thecentrifugal force about said pivot point exceeds the moment about saidpoint of the applied torque means for limiting the pivotal movement ofsaid weights, and an operating arm linked to at least one of saidweights at a point angularly displaced in a direction opposite to thedirection of rotation, said operating arm being inwardly directedtowards the axis of rotation.

5. A governor as in claim 4 in which said weights are pivoted about axesparallel to the axis of rotation.

6. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising a rotatable torqueinput member, a rotatable output member coaxial with said input member,one or more weights eccentrically pivoted about pivot points on saidoutput member, with the centres of gravity of the weights disposedrearwardly of the pivot points with respect to the direction ofrotation, radially inwardly directed slots in each of said weights,radially outwardly extending arms on the input member cooperating withsaid slots to provide a driving connection between the input and outputmembers while permitting limited relative angular displacement betweensaid members, means limiting the inward biasing of the weights when themoment about the pivot points due to the input torque is greater thanthe moment of the centrifugal force of the weights about the pivotpoints, means limiting the outward biasing of the weights when themoment of the centrif ugal force of the weights about the pivot pointsexceeds the moments about the pivot points due to the input torque, saidradially extending arms cooperating with said slots to provide a drivingconnection at all positions of said weights, and an operating arminwardly directed towards the axis of rotation connected to at least oneof said weights at a point adjacent to the rearward end of said weightwith respect to the direc tion of rotation whereby said operating arm isreciprocated inwardly and outwardly with inward and outward biasing ofsaid weight.

7. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising a rotatable torqueinput member a rotatable output member coaxialwith said input member,one or more arcuately disposed weights eccentrically pivoted about pivotpoints on said output member, eachof said pivot points being adjacent tothe leading end of the weight in the direction of rotation, radiallyinwardly directed slots in each of said weights between the pivot pointand the axis of rotation of the rotatable members, radially outwardlyextending arms on the input member cooperating with said slots toprovide a driving connection at all positions of the weights between theinput and output mem bers while permitting limited relative angulardisplacement between said members means limiting the inward and outwardbiasing '01"- said weights, and a governing arm connected to at leastone of said weights at a point remote from the pivot point.

8. A speed and torque sensitive governor comprising a rotatable torqueinput member, a rotatable output member coaxialwith the said inputmember, one or more weights eccentrically pivoted on said output member,each forming a 70 driving connection between the said rotatable members,said weights being held inwardly to wards the axis 10f the rotatablemembers by torque force transmitted through the input mem-. ber totheweights and being instantly moved 7; about their pivots to an outwardposition by the action or centrifugal force transmitted through theoutput member when the speed of rotation of the output member generatesa centrifugal force applied at the weights which is greater than thetorque forceapplied through the input member and an operating armactuated by the instantaneous movement of at least one of said weights.

9. A governor as in claim 8 having shock absorbing spring means holdingsaid weights in either the inward or outward positions against externalinfluences other than torque and speed.

WILLIAM A. DUFFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile 01'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 677,064 Cooke June 25, 19011,275,026 Herzog Aug. 6, 1918 1,388,743 Moore Aug. 23, 1921 1,884,233Rehm Oct. 25, 1932 2,120,612 Isakson June 14, 1938 2,129,241 SarazinSept. 6, 1938

